I'm not sure if there is more than one Chiquitos in London, but the one I am reviewing is the one in Leicester Square. To a small town country bumpkin such as myself, Mexican restaurants are strange, exotic lands, where the cutlery is clean, and made of metal, and menus are written in strange foreign tongues. Still, me and my good friend were drawn in by the bright colours and lovely smell and thought we'd try it out.
WHERE AND WHEN
Our first foray into the restaurant was on a Friday afternoon, about 2pm and it was rather busy. We were given a pager and asked to go and have a drink in the bar until our table was ready. For those of you wondering, the restaurant is pretty much opposite the cinema in LeicesterSquare, just down the side of Burger King. It is about 30 seconds walking distance from either Picadilly Circus or Leicester Square.
LAYOUT
Anyway, we were sat in the bar, which gave us a good first opportunity to gage our surroundings. The lighting is quite dim, but not in a seedy way. It feels nice and cozy in there. Plus if you've been out all
day in glaring sunshine being bashed by London tourists, it's a great little hideaway. Drinks were very reasonable (£2 for a pint of coke if memory serves). I'm afraid I'm a teetotaller, so I can't really comment on the price of alcohol. After about 15 minutes the pager went off (REALLY went off. A bottle rocket going off in my pocket would have gotten less attention). We were taken upstairs to the main restaurant section, which looks rather confusing, as you have lots of mini levels and raised bits and what have you. Still, all you need to know is where the staircase and the loos are, and they are both easy to find. The decor is just wooden chairs and tables. This is quite fine - Chiquitos obviously set their stall out to provide a cozy, friendly experience - not a grand dining gala. There is a lot of Mexican paraphenalia on the wall too, which does add to the far away feel - it is easy to forget that you're in the middle of London (unless you're lucky enough to get a balcony seat).
My one criticism of the layout, and it is a big one I'm afraid, is the downstairs dining area. It is right next to the bar, with no signs to tell people at the bar that they cannot sit in the dining area. If you go on a Friday night you often find yourself being bumped by obnoxious drunk businessmen who are trying to sit down, and then getting ratty when the staff ask them to leave the area. Some clear differentiation between the bar and restaurant would help. Also, being close to the bar also means you ingest cigarette smoke (until July 1st - hooray!)
MENU
We arrived during the lunch menu part of the day, meaning that you can get a starter, main course and bottomless soft drinks for £7.50. This is fantastic value for any restaurant, let alone one in the centre of London. Even without the special lunchtime deal, most dishes are less than £12 (with the exception of the big steaks and the swordfish).
There is a wide choice in all parts of the menu, though there isn't a symbol to highlight vegetarian dishes, so non meat eaters would have to read through the choices before choosing their meal. The main menu is divided up into salads, sizzling fajitas (and they do arrive sizzling, very very loudly), burgers, wraps, grilled dishes, sandwiches and side orders. The menu is also online to peruse at www.chiquito.co.uk.
FOOD
And so, I ordered the buffalo wings with hot Louisiana sauce as a starter, and the Philly cheese steak wrap as a main course. The drinks were served quickly, as was the starter. The problem is, as soon as I tried the buffalo wings, I have since become addicted to the sauce. The hot sauce they use is unbelievable. It isn't super, habanero hot, but still hot enough to ward anyone with IBS away. But it is the flavour more than anything else. It is so overwhelming, tangy and spicy. It tastes like being fed a million tomatos and chillis in one go, absolutely fantastic. However I must say that if you order this, you do seem to get something a little different each time. I go to Chiquitos every time I am in London, without fail, and I always order the hot wings. But sometimes they are basted in the sauce, and other times the sauce seems to be poured on. To be honest, when it is poured on it can be a little overwhelming. Also, be prepared to get messy, and don't order them if you have open cuts on your hands - I found that out the hard way.
For the main course, Philly cheese steak. Ok, not the most authentically Mexican dish in the world. Basically, it's chips, with strips of steak, onion and queso cheese wrapped ina tortilla and toasted. But once again, my goodness. Assuming you are not of a vegetarian persuasion, the moment the food touches your tongue, everything seems right with the world. I couldn't care less if it's not an exotic, complicated dish. It is nice and simple and cooked really, really well. You also get huge portions, and you will be filled. You also get a bottle of Cholula sauce with it, which again is lovely. It's not as hot as the Louisiana hot sauce, more tingly. Also, if you like it you can buy a bottle at www.chilefarm.co.uk for £3.
The first time I visited Chiquitos, I didn't have a desert, but have since tried banana taquito, which is a banana, dusted with cinnamon, wrapped in a tortilla and deep fried with fudge sauce on top, served with vanilla ice cream. It is quite heavy for a desert - one of these on its own could fill you. Also, it is extremely sweet. Nonetheless, it tastes lovely.
My only criticism about the food concerns one of the other dishes I tried - Mexican rice with a tortilla and spice chicken skewers. They are a bit heavy handed with the rice. That, coupled with the huge tortilla, constitues a bit of a stodgy meal, with not a lot by way of sauces to lubricate it all, so that would be one dish to miss.
STAFF
Onto the staff. The staff can't be faulted. I actually feel a bit sorry for them because they do seem constantly rushed off their feet. You'll be lucky to see the face of your waiter/waitress as they are usually just a blur. I also feel sorry for them having to wear such godawful T shirts. The staff are all impossibly good looking - they don't need to wear T shirts saying "Dangerous Desparado" or "Sassy Senorita". That is just cannon fodder for drunken idiots.
OVERALL
This is my favourite restaurant, ever. Yes, the seating could be better and not all the dishes are mouthwatering, but it is such a nice place to be. You aren't crammed in like a sardine, the staff are unfailingly polite, and for a restaurant in the middle of Leicester Square, the food is exceptional value for money - a 3 course meal for 2 with (soft) drinks will set you back about £40. There is ample space for families, and a seperate children's menu. There are high chairs provided, and I often see staff taking pictures for families, so they all seem to like the kiddies. Saturday afternoon is probably the best time to go, as it is is busy but not so busy you have to wait (although in 10 visits I've only had to wait once). I couldn't recommend this restaurant any more highly.
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Jun 14th, 2007
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